Bourekas

What is Bourekas?

Bourekas are turnovers made by wrapping a filling in a thin dough, usually puff pastry or phyllo. The fillings vary widely, with cheese, mashed potato, spinach, mushrooms, and eggplant among the most common. Some versions include meat, such as ground beef or chicken with pine nuts, or even sweet fillings. The pastries are often topped with sesame, poppy, or nigella seeds. Their shapes—triangles, squares, knots—often indicate the filling inside. Bourekas are golden and crisp on the outside, with a soft, savory or sweet center.

Where does Bourekas come from?

Bourekas trace their roots to Sephardic Jews who, after being expelled from Spain, settled in the Ottoman Empire. There, they adapted the local börek to fit kosher laws and combined it with their own empanada traditions. Over time, bourekas became a distinct part of Sephardic Jewish cuisine and later spread throughout Israel. The name comes from Judeo-Spanish, itself a borrowing from Turkish. In Israel, bourekas have become deeply embedded in food culture, second only to falafel as a street snack.

How is Bourekas made?

To make bourekas, dough—either puff pastry or phyllo—is rolled out and cut into shapes. A portion of filling is placed in the center, then the dough is folded and sealed, often with egg wash or water. The pastries are brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with seeds or spices before baking. Traditional homemade versions use hand-stretched dough, but most today use ready-made pastry for convenience. Fillings can be cheese, mashed potato, spinach, mushrooms, eggplant, or meat, and the shape often signals the filling to keep kosher rules.

How and when is Bourekas eaten?

Bourekas are eaten at any time of day in Israel, from breakfast to snack or lunch. They are sold at markets, bakeries, and cafes, and are a popular choice for Sabbath meals and festive occasions. Savory bourekas are often served with hard-boiled eggs, spicy sauces like skhug, grated tomato, tahini, olives, pickles, or salad. The pairing of skhug and tomato comes from Yemenite Jewish traditions. Sweet versions appear at Purim, filled with nuts and soaked in honey.

Kinds of Bourekas

Bourekas come in many forms. Fillings range from cheese (feta, kashkaval, tzfat), potato, spinach, and mushrooms to pizza-style, meat, or sweet nut mixtures. Shapes are regulated in Israel to help keep kosher: triangles for dairy, squares or rounds for parve (non-dairy), and special shapes for phyllo-based versions. Sephardic Jews in Turkey and Greece make sweet, deep-fried bourekitas for Purim. Commercially, frozen bourekas are widely available in Israel in popular flavors.

What Bourekas means

Bourekas are a symbol of Sephardic heritage and everyday Israeli life. Their shapes are regulated by the Chief Rabbinate to help kosher observance. The pastries are so central that a genre of Israeli films is called 'bourekas films,' reflecting social themes. Bourekas are found at markets, in bakeries, and at family gatherings, and are often associated with Sabbath and Purim celebrations. For many, the word itself is a link to Judeo-Spanish language and culture.

When Bourekas is on the table

Questions people ask about Bourekas

Good reading and sources

• Bourekas on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data